Our third stuffing is considerably more elegant. For this one we added oyster mushrooms, green onions, chopped fennel and a jar of oysters to a package of long-grain and wild rice mix. It is a most felicitous combination of flavors and textures to accompany the holiday bird.
All of these stuffings are easy to prepare and will taste good whether they're cooked in the turkey or separately. Don't forget a couple of cardinal rules of turkey cookery when dealing with stuffings, however. Stuffings can be prepared ahead and refrigerated separately, if absolutely necessary, but in the interest of food safety, don't stuff the turkey until you are ready to put it in the oven. And when Thanksgiving dinner is over, remove any remaining stuffing from the bird and refrigerate it and the turkey separately. These simple before-and-after safety procedures will help avoid the possibility of food poisoning caused by bacteria all too willing to grow when foods are not kept either hot enough or cold enough.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CORN-BREAD STUFFING
1 cup minced onion
1/2 cup julienned sweet red pepper strips
1 cup sliced celery
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup minced fresh sage leaves
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 (4-ounce) can whole green chiles, drained and cut in thin strips
4 cups cubed corn bread
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup hot chicken broth
Salt, pepper
Saute onion, red pepper strips, celery and garlic in butter until vegetables are tender. Stir in sage, artichokes and chiles. Saute until heated through. Toss corn bread and cheese together in large mixing bowl. Add hot vegetable mixture and toss gently but thoroughly. Pour chicken broth over and continue tossing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes about 6 cups stuffing, enough for 8- to 10-pound turkey.
BREAD STUFFING WITH TURKEY SAUSAGE
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram leaves
1 cup hot turkey or chicken broth
4 cups herb-seasoned bread cubes
1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts
1 cup crumbled, cooked turkey sausage
Salt, pepper
Saute garlic and onion in butter until vegetables are tender. Stir in rosemary and marjoram and continue sauteing 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in turkey broth and bring mixture to simmer. In large mixing bowl, combine bread cubes, water chestnuts and sausage and toss until well mixed. Pour broth mixture over, tossing to mix evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes about 4 cups stuffing, enough for 8-pound turkey.
DOUBLE OYSTER STUFFING
1 (6 1/4-ounce) package long grain and wild rice mix
1 cup sliced oyster mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced green onions, green part included
1 1/2 cups chopped fennel, about 1 medium bulb
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 (8-ounce) jar oysters, drained and cut in 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
Salt, pepper
Prepare rice according to package directions. Saute mushrooms, green onions and fennel in 2 tablespoons butter until vegetables are tender. Add to hot rice. Saute oysters in remaining 1 tablespoon butter until heated through. Add lemon zest to rice along with oysters. Toss to mix and season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 5 cups stuffing, enough for 8-pound turkey.
CRANBERRY STUFFING
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 pound sausage, cooked, crumbled and drained
8 ounces herb-seasoned stuffing mix
1/2 (1-pound) can whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup cranberry or orange liqueur or juice
1/2 cup condensed chicken broth, undiluted
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves
Salt, pepper
In large skillet saute onion and celery in butter until tender but not browned. Stir in sausage, stuffing mix, cranberry sauce, pecans, liqueur, chicken broth, sage and basil, tossing lightly to mix thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 6 cups stuffing or enough for 10-pound turkey.
\o7 Note: \f7 Stuffing may be used to make stuffing balls. Form 12 balls from mixture using large ice cream scoop. Place them on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes or until stuffing is heated through.
ANNE ROSENZWEIG'S APPLE-FENNEL- WALNUT AND WHISKEY STUFFING
2 cups golden raisins
2 cups Tennessee sipping whiskey
1 lemon, thinly sliced, then chopped
1 pound bacon, minced
4 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
4 apples, cored and chopped
1 1/2 cups minced fresh fennel
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3 cups chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons ground mace
2 teaspoons ground sage
2 teaspoons ground thyme
Sal, pepper
8 cups fresh bread crumbs
Soak raisins in whiskey 6 hours or overnight. Next day bring raisins, whiskey and lemon to simmer in saucepan and simmer together over medium heat for 10 minutes.
